1.) Field of the Invention
This invention relates generally to jars, bottles, and tubes of highly viscous and or thixotropic liquids, such as hand lotions, toothpaste, greases, and expensive cosmetic lotions to be dispensed and more specifically details an improved novel method of pumping these liquids that may contain solids or abrasive particles from their containers.
One problem with existing dispensers is that most hand lotion bottles come with vertical reciprocating hand pumps that will pump the viscous liquid while the bottle is full. As the level of the lotion, or viscous liquid, drops in the bottle the hydrostatic head pressure on the suction side of the pump decreases and the pump quits pumping efficiently, leaving expensive liquid in the bottle which is wasteful to the consumer.
A second problem is that vertical reciprocation hand pumps only allow the viscous liquid to be pumped while the container bottle is in a vertical position.
A third problem is that vertical reciprocation hand pumps allow atmospheric air to be exposed to the viscous liquid in the lotion bottle drying it out.
A fourth problem is that vertical reciprocation hand pumps allow atmospheric air to be exposed to the viscous liquid in a bottle contaminating the sterilized viscous liquid.
A fifth problem is that many expensive cosmetic lotions, or viscous liquids, require chemical extenders, thinning agents, and or plasticizers, in various expensive combinations, to reduce the viscosity of the liquid so that it may be pumped. This adds to the cost of the viscous liquid and requires a larger bottle that must be purchased, filled, handled, labeled, stored, & transported which is wasteful.
A sixth problem is that viscous liquids produced in squeeze bottles or tubes are effected by atmospheric pressure and temperature changes which may cause the viscous liquid to be inadvertently expelled from the tube or bottle which is wasteful.
A seventh problem is that highly viscous and or thixotropic liquids offered in open topped jars with snap on or screwable lids are open to the atmosphere while being dispensed contaminating the sterilized viscous liquid.
A eight problem is that weak, arthritic, elderly, or physically challenged people sometimes have a very difficult time generating sufficient hand forces to squeezing tubes of highly viscous materials or generating a sufficient twisting motions to remove and replace screwable lids containing needed material.
Therefore, the primary objective of this novel invention is to eliminate all of the above problems by using compressed air generated by a small air pump on the container bottles to squeeze a bladder forcing the highly viscous and or thixotropic liquids non contaminated liquid from the bottle in any attitude, vertical horizontal, or rotated at any angle.
A second object of this invention is to allow an individual to operate the lotion pump with one finger or hand.
A third object of this invention is to release the hand-pumped up compressed air, by stopping the pumping action and removing the hand or finger from the lotion pump, which will stop the dispensing of the vicious liquid.
2.) Description of the Related Art
U.S. Pat. No. 7,137,531 B2 Relates to a flexible bag commonly called a “bag-in-a-Box”, in the art, that is used to displace fluids such as wine and liquid soaps. The bag is not compressed by external pressure to discharge the liquids and does not relate to this invention.
U.S. Pat. No. 6,460,739 B2 relates to a dispenser for viscous or viscous products, liquids, which has a closure, which closure automatically closes the dispenser exit and relates to closures which this invention does not specifically relate to.
U.S. Pat. No. 6,073,804 relates to a device for packaging and dispensing a fluid that includes a shrinkable bag suitable for shrinking as the quantity of viscous fluid contained inside it diminishes, and an extraction means opening out to the inside of the bag. The bag is shrunk or squeezed by a propellant gas that as we know is hazardous to fill, transport and store and sometimes harmful to the environment. U.S. Pat. Nos. 4,793,522; 4,872,596; and 4,890,733 all relate to pumping viscous products that use a floating piston that is driven into the displaced product by atmospheric pressure. The product being displaced by a positive displacement pump relies on the seal of the floating piston to keep the suction side of the pump primed. We all know that sliding seals of any kind eventually leak which renders these types of dispensers for viscous liquids ineffective.